FRED FRITH

Jazz Related Improv/Composition / Third Stream / Jazz Related Soundtracks / Avant-Garde Jazz • United Kingdom
Jazz music community with review and forums
FRED FRITH picture
For Frith / Parkins / Kihlstedt / Bossi / Ismaily collective Cosa Brava search under "Cosa Beava".

Fred Frith (born 17 February 1949) is an English multi-instrumentalist, composer and improvisor.

Probably best known for his guitar work, Frith first came to attention as one of the founding members of the English avant-rock group Henry Cow. Frith was also a member of Art Bears, Massacre and Skeleton Crew. He has collaborated with a number of prominent musicians, including Robert Wyatt, Derek Bailey, The Residents, Lol Coxhill, John Zorn, Brian Eno, Mike Patton, Lars Hollmer, Bill Laswell, Iva Bittová, the ARTE Quartett and Bob Ostertag. He has also composed several long works, including Traffic Continues (1996, performed 1998 by Frith and Ensemble Modern) and Freedom in Fragments (1993, performed 1999 by Rova Saxophone Quartet). Frith produces most of his own music, and has also produced many albums by other musicians, including Curlew,
read more...
Thanks to silent way for the addition and snobb, kazuhiro for the updates

FRED FRITH Online Videos

See all FRED FRITH videos

Buy FRED FRITH music

More places to buy jazz & FRED FRITH music

FRED FRITH Discography

FRED FRITH albums / top albums

FRED FRITH Guitar Solos album cover 4.00 | 2 ratings
Guitar Solos
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1974
FRED FRITH Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser : With Friends Like These album cover 4.00 | 2 ratings
Fred Frith, Henry Kaiser : With Friends Like These
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1979
FRED FRITH Gravity album cover 4.02 | 8 ratings
Gravity
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1980
FRED FRITH Speechless album cover 4.19 | 8 ratings
Speechless
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1981
FRED FRITH Who Needs Enemies ? (with Henry Kaiser) album cover 4.00 | 2 ratings
Who Needs Enemies ? (with Henry Kaiser)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1983
FRED FRITH Cheap At Half The Price album cover 3.12 | 5 ratings
Cheap At Half The Price
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1983
FRED FRITH Skeleton Crew  : Learn To Talk album cover 4.33 | 3 ratings
Skeleton Crew : Learn To Talk
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1984
FRED FRITH Skeleton Crew : The Country Of Blinds album cover 4.20 | 5 ratings
Skeleton Crew : The Country Of Blinds
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1986
FRED FRITH The Technology Of Tears - And Other Music For Dance And Theatre album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
The Technology Of Tears - And Other Music For Dance And Theatre
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1988
FRED FRITH The Top Of His Head album cover 3.00 | 3 ratings
The Top Of His Head
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1989
FRED FRITH Step Across The Border album cover 4.33 | 3 ratings
Step Across The Border
Jazz Related Soundtracks 1990
FRED FRITH Dropera (as Fred & Ferd) album cover 4.25 | 2 ratings
Dropera (as Fred & Ferd)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1991
FRED FRITH Helter Skelter (with François-Michel Pesenti) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Helter Skelter (with François-Michel Pesenti)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1992
FRED FRITH Fred Frith / Marc Ribot ‎: Sounds Of A Distant Episode album cover 4.20 | 5 ratings
Fred Frith / Marc Ribot ‎: Sounds Of A Distant Episode
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1994
FRED FRITH Lelekovice, String Quartet No.1 / The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Lelekovice, String Quartet No.1 / The As Usual Dance Towards the Other Flight to What is Not
Third Stream 1994
FRED FRITH Middle Of The Moment album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Middle Of The Moment
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1995
FRED FRITH Allies album cover 3.57 | 3 ratings
Allies
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1996
FRED FRITH Skeleton Crew :Etymology album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Skeleton Crew :Etymology
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1997
FRED FRITH En Public Aux Laboratoires D'Aubervilliers Improvisations (with Jean-Pierre Drouet) album cover 2.00 | 1 ratings
En Public Aux Laboratoires D'Aubervilliers Improvisations (with Jean-Pierre Drouet)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1997
FRED FRITH The Previous Evening album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
The Previous Evening
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1997
FRED FRITH Ayaya Moses album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Ayaya Moses
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1997
FRED FRITH Eye To Ear album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Eye To Ear
Jazz Related Soundtracks 1997
FRED FRITH Upbeat album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Upbeat
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1998
FRED FRITH Pacifica album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Pacifica
Third Stream 1998
FRED FRITH Traffic Continues (as Ensemble Modern with Ikue Mori and Zeena Parkins) album cover 4.12 | 4 ratings
Traffic Continues (as Ensemble Modern with Ikue Mori and Zeena Parkins)
Third Stream 2000
FRED FRITH Clearing album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Clearing
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2001
FRED FRITH Accidental album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Accidental
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2001
FRED FRITH Fred Frith, Jean Derome, Pierre Tanguay, Myles Boisen : All Is Bright, But It Is Not Day album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith, Jean Derome, Pierre Tanguay, Myles Boisen : All Is Bright, But It Is Not Day
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2002
FRED FRITH Rivers And Tides { Working With Time album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Rivers And Tides { Working With Time
Jazz Related Soundtracks 2003
FRED FRITH Tempted To Smile (with Joëlle Léandre / Jonathan Segel) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Tempted To Smile (with Joëlle Léandre / Jonathan Segel)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2003
FRED FRITH Eye To Ear II album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Eye To Ear II
Jazz Related Soundtracks 2004
FRED FRITH Eleventh Hour (with  Arditti String Quartet / Uwe Dierksen / William Winant) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Eleventh Hour (with Arditti String Quartet / Uwe Dierksen / William Winant)
Third Stream 2005
FRED FRITH The Compass, Log, And Lead (with Stevie Wishart, Carla Kihlstedt) album cover 3.50 | 2 ratings
The Compass, Log, And Lead (with Stevie Wishart, Carla Kihlstedt)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2006
FRED FRITH The Happy End Problem album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Happy End Problem
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2006
FRED FRITH The Sugar Factory (with Evelyn Glennie) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Sugar Factory (with Evelyn Glennie)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2007
FRED FRITH Cutter Heads (with Chris Brown) album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Cutter Heads (with Chris Brown)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2007
FRED FRITH To Sail, To Sail album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
To Sail, To Sail
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2008
FRED FRITH Back To Life album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Back To Life
Third Stream 2008
FRED FRITH Still Urban (with Arte Quartett) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Still Urban (with Arte Quartett)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2008
FRED FRITH The Big Picture (with Arte Quartett) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Big Picture (with Arte Quartett)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2008
FRED FRITH Nowhere. Sideshow. Thin Air album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Nowhere. Sideshow. Thin Air
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2009
FRED FRITH Eye To Ear III album cover 2.50 | 2 ratings
Eye To Ear III
Jazz Related Soundtracks 2010
FRED FRITH Cosa Brava : Ragged Atlas album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cosa Brava : Ragged Atlas
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2010
FRED FRITH Clearing Customs album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Clearing Customs
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2011
FRED FRITH Frith, Fred / John Butcher : The Natural Order album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Frith, Fred / John Butcher : The Natural Order
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2014
FRED FRITH Backscatter Bright Blue album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Backscatter Bright Blue
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2015
FRED FRITH Field Days (The Amanda Loops) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Field Days (The Amanda Loops)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2015
FRED FRITH Fred Frith / Darren Johnston : Everybody’s Somebody’s Nobody album cover 4.00 | 2 ratings
Fred Frith / Darren Johnston : Everybody’s Somebody’s Nobody
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2016
FRED FRITH Another Day In Fucking Paradise album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Another Day In Fucking Paradise
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2016
FRED FRITH You Are Here album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
You Are Here
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2017
FRED FRITH Fred Frith / Hardy Fox : A Day Hanging Dead Between Heaven And Earth album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith / Hardy Fox : A Day Hanging Dead Between Heaven And Earth
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2018
FRED FRITH Closer to the Ground album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Closer to the Ground
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2018
FRED FRITH Fred Frith - Nicolas Humbert - Marc Parisotto : Cut Up The Border album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith - Nicolas Humbert - Marc Parisotto : Cut Up The Border
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2020
FRED FRITH Fred Frith / Sudhu Tewari / Cenk Ergn : Lock Me Up, Lock Me Down album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith / Sudhu Tewari / Cenk Ergn : Lock Me Up, Lock Me Down
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2020
FRED FRITH Fred Frith / Ikue Mori : Mountain Doesn't Know album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith / Ikue Mori : Mountain Doesn't Know
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2021
FRED FRITH Fred Frith Trio with Lotte Anker and Susana Santos Silva : Road album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith Trio with Lotte Anker and Susana Santos Silva : Road
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2021
FRED FRITH Dancing Like Dust album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Dancing Like Dust
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2023
FRED FRITH Fred Frith & Shelley Burgon : The Life and Behavior album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith & Shelley Burgon : The Life and Behavior
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2025

FRED FRITH EPs & splits

FRED FRITH live albums

FRED FRITH Fred Frith / Bob Ostertag / Phil Minton ‎: Voice Of America album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith / Bob Ostertag / Phil Minton ‎: Voice Of America
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1982
FRED FRITH Fred Frith & 突然段ボール : Live At Loft Shinjuku Tokyo Japan 23 July '81 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith & 突然段ボール : Live At Loft Shinjuku Tokyo Japan 23 July '81
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1982
FRED FRITH Live In Japan:The Guitars On The Table Approach Vol.1 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live In Japan:The Guitars On The Table Approach Vol.1
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1982
FRED FRITH Live In Japan:The Guitars On The Table Approach Vol.2 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live In Japan:The Guitars On The Table Approach Vol.2
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1982
FRED FRITH Live In Japan:The Guitars On The Table Approach album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live In Japan:The Guitars On The Table Approach
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1982
FRED FRITH Skeleton Crew : Esta Es La Victoria album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Skeleton Crew : Esta Es La Victoria
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1985
FRED FRITH Nous Autres (with René Lussier) album cover 3.90 | 5 ratings
Nous Autres (with René Lussier)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1987
FRED FRITH Ars Longa Dens Brevis (with John Zorn / Onnyk / Toyozumi Yoshisaburo) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ars Longa Dens Brevis (with John Zorn / Onnyk / Toyozumi Yoshisaburo)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1987
FRED FRITH Live Improvisations (with Tim Hodgkinson) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live Improvisations (with Tim Hodgkinson)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1990
FRED FRITH Live In Trondheim - Berlin - Limoges Vol. 2 album cover 5.00 | 1 ratings
Live In Trondheim - Berlin - Limoges Vol. 2
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1994
FRED FRITH Réel (with Noël Akchoté) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Réel (with Noël Akchoté)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1996
FRED FRITH Maybe Monday : Saturn's Finger album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Maybe Monday : Saturn's Finger
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1999
FRED FRITH Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire (Graphic Scores 1986 - 96) album cover 3.00 | 2 ratings
Stone, Brick, Glass, Wood, Wire (Graphic Scores 1986 - 96)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1999
FRED FRITH I Dream Of You Jumping (with J.P. Drouet & Louis Sclavis) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
I Dream Of You Jumping (with J.P. Drouet & Louis Sclavis)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2001
FRED FRITH Dearness (with Anne Bourne & John Oswald) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Dearness (with Anne Bourne & John Oswald)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2001
FRED FRITH Digital Wildlife (with Maybe Monday) album cover 4.33 | 3 ratings
Digital Wildlife (with Maybe Monday)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2002
FRED FRITH Freedom In Fragments album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Freedom In Fragments
Third Stream 2002
FRED FRITH That House We Lived In (with Keep The Dog) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
That House We Lived In (with Keep The Dog)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2003
FRED FRITH 50th Birthday Celebration Volume Five (with John Zorn) album cover 3.90 | 5 ratings
50th Birthday Celebration Volume Five (with John Zorn)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2004
FRED FRITH The Art of Memory II album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Art of Memory II
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2006
FRED FRITH Impur album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Impur
Third Stream 2006
FRED FRITH Pas De Deux (as Frith + Roger) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Pas De Deux (as Frith + Roger)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2008
FRED FRITH Impur II album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Impur II
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2009
FRED FRITH Live at Cafe OTO (with Christian Marclay) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live at Cafe OTO (with Christian Marclay)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2013
FRED FRITH Fred  Frith And Helen Mirra : Kwangsi - quail album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith And Helen Mirra : Kwangsi - quail
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2014
FRED FRITH Frith, Fred / Evan Parker : Hello, I Must Be Going album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Frith, Fred / Evan Parker : Hello, I Must Be Going
Avant-Garde Jazz 2015
FRED FRITH Fred Frith / Michel Doneda : album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith / Michel Doneda :
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2015
FRED FRITH Propaganda album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Propaganda
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2015
FRED FRITH Fred Frith, John Butcher, Theresa Wong : Quintillions Green album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith, John Butcher, Theresa Wong : Quintillions Green
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2016
FRED FRITH Storytelling album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Storytelling
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2017
FRED FRITH Live At The Stone - All Is Always Now album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live At The Stone - All Is Always Now
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2019
FRED FRITH Woodwork / Live At Ateliers Claus album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Woodwork / Live At Ateliers Claus
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2019
FRED FRITH Laying Demons To Rest album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Laying Demons To Rest
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2023
FRED FRITH Fred Frith And Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles : Something About This Landscape For Ensemble album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Fred Frith And Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles : Something About This Landscape For Ensemble
Third Stream 2023

FRED FRITH demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

FRED FRITH re-issues & compilations

FRED FRITH With Enemies Like These, Who Needs Friends? (with Henry Kaiser) album cover 4.00 | 2 ratings
With Enemies Like These, Who Needs Friends? (with Henry Kaiser)
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 1987
FRED FRITH Prints album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Prints
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2002
FRED FRITH The Fred Records Story : Volume 1 Rocking the Boat album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Fred Records Story : Volume 1 Rocking the Boat
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2021
FRED FRITH The Fred Records Story : Volume 2 Crossing Borders album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Fred Records Story : Volume 2 Crossing Borders
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2021
FRED FRITH The Fred Records Story : Volume 3 Stepping Out album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Fred Records Story : Volume 3 Stepping Out
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2021
FRED FRITH Guitar Solos / Fifty album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Guitar Solos / Fifty
Jazz Related Improv/Composition 2024

FRED FRITH singles (0)

FRED FRITH movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

FRED FRITH Reviews

FRED FRITH Gravity

Album · 1980 · Jazz Related Improv/Composition
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
js
This is one of Frith's more accessible records, but it is hardly commercial. These are mostly fairly short songs that mix traditional Persian and East European instrumental dance music with progressive rock, lounge exotica and Frith's unique brand of avant-garde improvisation. The progressive rock sections bear some resemblance to artists like Zappa, Fripp and Snakefinger. Frith and his band mates play a wide variety of acoustic stringed instruments such as violin, mandolin and acoustic guitar, but Frith also adds a lot of heavily sustained electric guitar melodies in the classic progressive rock tradition of Hackett, Manzanera and once again, Fripp. Some songs on this album are worth special mention. 'Norrgarden Nyvla' starts with a short quirky intro and then lays into a nice Frith violin solo over a Indo-Persian groove. After that lengthy section the whole song breaks down into an odd but catchy triple-tracked guitar melody that wouldn't sound too out of place on an early 70's Zappa record.

The track 'What a Dilemma' is a driving avant-garde hard rock song that is similar to Frith's noisy Massacre band, or some of King Crimson's more harsh tunes. 'A Career in Real Estate' is a trip around the world musically that doesn't sound contrived or pretentious. Despite numerous style and meter changes the whole song hangs together thanks to Frith's ability to create coherent melodies that tie the different sections together. The only song that doesn't meet the standards of the rest of the album is his cover of 'Dancing in the Streets'. The version by Martha Reeves will never be topped, the cover by Black Oak Arkansas isn't bad either, but this version is boring and tedious and contains none of the original's magic.

Fred Frith is one of the best composers to come out of the world of rock music. His ability to write interesting melodies with constantly shifting time signatures is unparalleled in this genre. If you want to check out his music, this album is a good place to start.

FRED FRITH Eye To Ear III

Album · 2010 · Jazz Related Soundtracks
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
snobb
Eye To Ear III is third in 13 years Frith's collection of his written and recorded soundtrack music.The first 11 titles on this CD make up The Troja Suite,dark and in moments heavy and dynamic collection of quirky compositions for Hussi Kutulcan's "Drei Gegen Troja" movie soundtrack. Frith plays guitar,bass and keyboards, and has violinist,percussionist and trumpeter on support. If by any chance you didn't know this music is originally soundtrack when listened, possibly you could be a bit surprised:besides of some well crafted compositions (few of them even have funny a-la metal guitar attacks), many are too amorphous,unfocused and openly too long. As soundtrack, this music is great illustrative sound though.

Second part of the album is soundtrack to 2004 documentary Thirst (five compositions under common title "Water Music"). In this case the title is really representative - compositions all are liquid,almost amorphous, with strong influence of ambient and world music. Happily often balancing on the new age border,music never crosses it. Frith's guitar,bass,keyboards and violin are supported there by small orchestra of Eastern winds and strings instruments.

I never saw above mentioned films,but I expect both soundtracks could really work successfully with visual line.As separate musical release,these compositions are not essential to be listened with big interest though.

FRED FRITH Allies

Album · 1996 · Jazz Related Improv/Composition
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
snobb
One of RIO core figure and well-known NY down town artist Fred Frith's "Allies" were originally composed and recorded by him in 1989 on request of Bebe Miller as suite for the Brooklyn Academy of Music's "Next Wave'" series. Originally Fred used drum programming, and some years later unhappy with the sound of beat machine he asked his previous colaborator on Naked City project drummer Joey Baron to re-record tracks.

This album is a result , and generally you can hear that final sound is just Baron's drumming mixed over the previous recorded musical mix, what really limited his possibilities. All music was written as soundtrack for (modern) dance show, so it's well structured and quite accessible to listen. Fred plays solo on some different instruments (one - on every other song, including bass,violin,tape manipulation and drum machine besides of more usual guitars)with support of cellist Tom Cora and sax player George Cartwright.

Music is all pre-composed and sound well-calculated,angular and even mathematic by it's structure. For sure,initial drumming machine rhythm influenced the character of music, but it's obvious there are big element of Frith's quirky chamber-influenced sound coming from his Henry Cow years as well. Rhythms are complex and are changing in progress of compositions,at the same time melodic tunes are presented in every composition. Possibly not very various dynamically, this release are one of most matured and pleasantly accessible Frith solo album, even if it could be placed only somewhere on the borderline with real improvisational jazz.

FRED FRITH Cheap At Half The Price

Album · 1983 · Jazz Related Improv/Composition
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
js
'Cheap at Half the Price' is the third album by Fred Frith as a band leader, it is preceded by the brilliant world music influenced first album 'Gravity', and the more avant-garde sophomore effort 'Speechless'. 'Cheap', just like 'Gravity', turns to Eastern Europe and the Middle East for musical inspiration, but unfortunately 'Cheap' is not nearly as successful as 'Gravity'. The difference between the two albums is that 'Gravity' is mostly instrumental, but 'Cheap' is made up of odd world/avant-garde/pop songs that often feature Frith's 'quirky' vocals, and that is a problem. Fred Frith cannot sing. I think he knows this but assumes that since this is avant-garde rock his clever socio-political insights will be good enough to pull things off. The truth is Frith's music sounds so much better when he stays instrumental, which is proven on this album by the several instrumental songs on side two. The other problem with 'Cheap' is that a lot of the songs were built from pre-recorded drum tracks that repeat the same pattern (some of these drum patterns also show up on other Frith albums). Once again 'Gravity' was much better because the songs were performed by live musicians playing creative arrangements that included a lot of rhythmic variations.

This album is OK, but Frith is capable of much better.

FRED FRITH Movies Reviews

No FRED FRITH movie reviews posted yet.

FRED FRITH Shouts

Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Eugenie Vocal Jazz
EUGENIE JONES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Segaki Avant-Garde Jazz
HUNGRY GHOSTS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Adalar
RADHIKA DE SARAM
js· 12 hours ago
Rule of Thumb
JEFF SHIRLEY
js· 1 day ago
Sun Dance
JEFF SHIRLEY
js· 1 day ago
Puna
OIRO PENA
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us